It is useful for a worker to have a variety of small hand tools to have at his or her disposal. This is true when performing carpentry functions or when doing simple mechanical jobs such as vehicle maintenance or the repair of small electrical appliances or appurtenances. In such cases, a variety of small tools should to be immediately at disposal. Additionally, in the course of performing such work, a worker is usually required to temporarily remove small nuts, bolts, and screws and to be able to recover such items quickly and easily. Additionally, it is helpful to have a variety of other supplies, such as gloves, measures, finishing and other nails, or any number of other small items immediately available.
A variety of prior art devices have has made efforts at solving this problem. They range from simple ideas to some rather large and complex appurtenances. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,007 issued to Skeie, on May 2, 1989, comprises a bucket-like device which is adapted with a large compartmentalized base member and a generally circular and planar ring about its top. The generally planar and circular ring about its top is further adapted with slots and holes to hold tools and with a bulky cover. The top planar member extends about the outside circumference of the top of the bucket and tool handles may protrude up through the inner portions of this upper circle. The device taught in Skeie is obviously cumbersome but does accomplish the function of permitting the simple and quick storage and mobility of a variety of hand tools.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,447 issued to Fleming on Dec. 29, 1992 teaches a bucket with a belt of pockets around the inner circumference of the bucket and the outer circumference of the bucket. The handles or shafts of various tools can be fit within these pockets, which are essentially draped about the top of the bucket. Some of these pockets are adapted with bottom and top closing devices (such as pocket flaps) to permit small implements to be held therein without danger of falling out. Because the wire bale of the bucket handle provides one of the bases of support of the pocket apparatus, it is necessary to remove the wire bale in order to install the apparatus taught in Fleming.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,472, issued to Dent, on Aug. 23, 1988 is another version of a tool holder similar to Fleming utilizing the same principle. Neither of these invention s teaches a separate storage area for nuts and bolts. Each of them relies on the wire bale to support the tool-holding apparatus. Each of these additionally requires fastening a flexible belt or rectangular tool carrier about the bucket.
Another style of tool holder is taught U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,329, issued to Fogelberg on Feb. 16, 1993. This apparatus teaches a set of partitions which may be used to divide the interior of the bucket into compartments of various sizes and shapes. An interesting novation of Fogelberg is its use of an apparently semi-rigid and spiraling compartment dividing arrangement to permit its adaptation with a range of bucket sizes and taper patterns, which may narrow from the bucket tops to bucket bottoms. The device taught in Fogelberg, while helpful, does not provide very easy access to the bottoms of any of the compartments and compartments do not lend themselves to simple identification of the tools therein.
Yet another general style of tool holder is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,243 issued to Deyesso, et al on Dec. 7, 1982, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,463, issued to Dees on Mar. 3, 1992. Each of these patents teaches a generally circular and planar surface which is adapted to fit within the top of a bucket-type carrier in order to hold tools. The device taught by Dees was designed for use with larger tools, such as are used for gardening and landscaping functions such as hose, spades, rakes, and brooms. The Dees device teaches the use of large and supported holes within said circular planar surface and the use of brackets with wing nuts supports to hold and fasten the circular planar surface near the top of the tub.
Deyesso teaches what amounts to a flanged ring which is adapted with holes within the width of the ring and which will fit about a point near the top of a bucket by simply finding its point of equilibrium as it moves down the depth of the bucket. The flanged member is adapted with holes and slots which may be used to support the handles of tools. In an alternative variation to the device, a circular member, with no flanged ring, is adapted with notches about its outer circumference through which the tool handles may be positioned. Neither Deyesso nor Dees teaches any separate section for small implements to be loosely held such as the nuts, bolts and screws.
What is not provided in the prior art is an apparatus which is useful in facilitating the simple and easy storage of such hand tools, easily moving them from one place to another, additionally storing small items which may also be useful in performing carpentry and mechanical operations, and finally accounting for such tools at the end of a period of work.